Glossary
Like many satiric stage works (in particular, the Gilbert and Sullivan models), Strike Up the Band contains topical references that might not be familiar to the contemporary listener. The glossary below, assembled by Steven D. Bowen, has been provided for those lyrics that may require special explanation. Generic names (e.g., Big Chief Muddy Waters) have not been included.
ADMIRAL DEWEY: George Dewey (1837-1917), naval officer during the Spanish-American war.
"BAMBINO" RUTH: George Herman Ruth (1895-1948), celebrated baseball player.
BEN TURPIN (1874-1940): American comedian and one of the first silent film stars.
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN (1816-1876): Dramatic actress known for her portrayals of tragic roles; first performer elected to the Hall of Fame.
DEMPSEY: Heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey (1895-1983), also known as "The Manassa Mauler;' heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.
DONAHUE: Possibly Jack Donahue, popular vaudeville performer who later starred in the Gershwins' Rosalie (1928).
ESQ: Abbreviation for "esquire."
EDWIN BOOTH (1833-1893): Famous actor and brother of John Wilkes Booth.
ELK: Fraternal Order of Elks, a social organization for men.
F.F.V.: "First Families of Virginia;' a group of aristocratic families. Later a slang term for elite society.
FENEVESSI: Possibly the Fennyvessey's of Rochester, New York, who in 1922 staged bizarre publicity stunts to attract patrons to their small-time burlesque houses.
FRANCIS BUSHMAN (1883-1966): Actor whose early career on Broadway was eclipsed by his fame as a movie star; at one time, the highest paid actor in Hollywood.
GINSBERG: Morris Ginsberg (1889-1970), author of The Science of Society and the Unity of Mankind.
GUGGENHEIMER: Minnie Guggenheimer (1882-1966), philanthropist and patron of the arts who founded the annual summer concert series at City College of New York.
HANDS ACROSS THE SEA: Term used to refer to cooperation between nations. Also the title of a Sousa march written in 1899.
JAZZBO: Slang term for a jazz singer.
K.C.B.: Knight Commander of the order of the Bath (British).
L.L.D.: Legum Doctor (Doctor of Laws)
LEFFINGWELL: Russell Cornell Leffingwell, banker and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
LUX: A popular soap, heavily advertised on radio and in magazines during the 1920's and '30's.
MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENT: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, in office during the first run of Strike Up the Band.
MINSKY: The Minsky brothers, owners of a chain of burlesque theatres.
MISTER HEARST: William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), newspaper and magazine publisher.
MORRIS GEST (1881-1942): Broadway and film producer; his Midnight Whirl in 1919 featured several songs by George Gershwin.
RUMSHINSKY:Joseph Rumshinsky, composer for the Yiddish theatre.
Z.B.T.: Zeta Beta Tau, a primarily Jewish college fraternity.
ZANZIBAR: Island off the East African coast, part of Tanzania.
